


Energy and Nerve Force

by Violsva



Category: Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Food, Food Issues, Gen, Watson's Woes July Writing Prompts 2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-07-07
Packaged: 2018-07-22 01:33:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7413250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Violsva/pseuds/Violsva
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I have known him presume upon his iron strength until he has fainted from pure inanition.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Energy and Nerve Force

**Author's Note:**

> For Watson's Woes [July Writing Prompt #6](http://watsons-woes.livejournal.com/1523364.html).

“Watson, do you need nourishment?”

I let him pretend he is asking about me. I believe he truly does not feel the sensations of hunger most of the time, no doubt due to years of ignoring them in pursuit of his aims. So I only rarely answer based on my own desires - I eat regularly, and have reserves to spare. But, although he does not intend to utterly neglect himself, after two fainting incidents (not that he would call them anything of the sort) I have taken to keeping track of his meals as well as my own.

Once Mrs. Hudson has placed food on the table, even if he has told her to bring nothing for him, he can be persuaded to sit down and think out loud to me, at which point he generally will get so absorbed that he does not notice as his hands busy themselves with toast or sandwiches. Anything more substantial has to wait until the end of the affair, but when he is busy for days this is enough to sustain him.

He would like to finish every case with a lavish meal out, but if a matter is concluded after midnight this is unlikely to occur - Mrs. Hudson has made her feelings on the subject of hot supper after eleven very clear. If he has had at least the bare necessities of food during the case I am more comfortable letting him sleep without more.

I am not a saint - I am not always so charitably inclined towards him as to bother. But the utter humiliation, even if he will not admit it, of swooning in front of Scotland Yard has made him pay more attention to what I tell him, and these days he will at least usually remember to ask.


End file.
